Rare Male Dugong Found Dead on Phang Nga Beach
Thai marine officials are investigating the death of a rare male dugong found on Bang Sak Beach in Takua Pa, with a necropsy planned to determine the cause.
Officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources are investigating the death of a rare male dugong found washed ashore at Bang Sak Beach in Takua Pa, Phang Nga.
The Marine and Coastal Resources Office 6 said it and the Siritharn Marine Endangered Species Rescue Center responded this week after receiving reports of the carcass along the shoreline in Moo 8, Bang Muang Subdistrict.
Authorities said the dugong measured 254 centimeters in length and was already in an advanced state of decomposition. The animal had peeling skin and severe necrotic wounds beneath its left flipper.
The remains were documented, transported and sent for necropsy to determine the precise cause of death.
Dugongs, often called sea cows, are regarded as an indicator species for the richness of seagrass ecosystems. Officials said the loss of even one dugong is a setback for the fragile population of the rare marine mammals and a warning sign about the vulnerability of Thailand’s coastal resources.
